


Tesoro Del Pirata

by Nberdz



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-01 12:07:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11486067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nberdz/pseuds/Nberdz
Summary: Feeling trapped in his home village, seventeen-year-old Lovino Vargas seeks adventure in unknown places. However, it comes to him in a way he wasn't quite expecting.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick prologue to set the mood, reviews are always appreciated! Here's to my first story on A03!

**Prologue**

His brother was gone. Dead. His throat had been slit and now the pair of green hazel eyes stared at him vacantly. He should have known his brother wasn’t the first. He had been a fool. The cry had come first, the people second, the news of his wife’s death came third. First his brother, then his beloved Arabella. He didn’t understand what was happening, not even as his fellow villagers took him down the stairs to where she was. He was in such a state of shock that he had all but forgotten how to walk. She was fine, moments before save for the grief that shook her at the news of her brother-in-law taking his own life. What a fool he was.

     The first steps towards his wife’s body were the worst. He still had hope that the villagers were wrong, that his Arabella was still alive. As he drew closer, he knew he was wrong. His beautiful Arabella, gone. A heart attack it looked like. Her hand was still clutching onto her chest. Still the tears would not come. He wanted to cry, to scream and to weep. However, he just couldn’t. Upstairs he heard the cries of his daughter; it was her wailing that had brought the tears to his eyes. The villagers had brought down the body of his brother, which was now covered the sheet from the bed. He still couldn’t understand what had happened, what would cause his brother who had been so full of life, to commit suicide.

     Then there was a scream from his daughter, and a shout from her husband before an eerie silence, followed by the cries of his grandchildren. He thought he would have a heart attack himself, but it seemed that it was not meant to be. His feet found themselves and the next thing that he knew he was running up the stairs, straight to his daughter’s room. A strangled cry escaped his throat, and he had to lean against the support beam of the doorway. His daughter, gone, gripping onto the bedsheet that. His son-in-law, gone holding onto the now broken bed handle. It looked as if he had died trying to bludgeon something with it.

     Was he cursed? That all his family were to die, all within hours of each other. Even the villagers seemed perplexed, but their own grief clouded their confusion. Pity, he knew, was the only thing that the villagers felt for him. Something shined from the floor, close to his daughter’s head. He bent over, pausing to brush his daughter’s hair from her face one last time, before he picked it up. It was a necklace with small gemstones surrounding a large piece of cut jade. He recognized it immediately. He crushed the damned thing in his hand.

     So, it was _her_. That _sorceress_ was the one that did it. The death of his brother, his Arabella, his daughter, and her husband- they were no accidents. She _murdered_ them because of something that happened twenty years past. A knew look sparked in his brown eyes. Revenge; he would have vengeance for his family, and he was no stranger on how to get it.

     Cries from the bed broke through his vengeful haze. His eyes drifted to the bed. There was a tangled mess of small limbs that thrashed wildly, and screaming cries that demanded attention. He dropped the necklace as he stood up, a relieved smile falling across his face. His grandsons, that witch had missed his grandsons. They were still alive. He pulled the sheets from the twins, who screamed even louder at the action.

     “Shh, shh.” He rasped, pulling one baby close to his chest and then carefully pulling the other close. He rocked them back and forth, an attempt to ease their cries. It seemed as if even they knew what was happening.

     “Hush, miei nipoti. I miei preziosi ragazzi.” He muttered to them. He hummed a soft lullaby, the same one he would sing to his daughter, and was relieved to see that it calmed them down a bit. He had to leave. He knew he had to leave, to protect them. But just leaving wouldn’t be enough. He had to hide them, all of three of them. He had spent years hiding from the navy, before he became a respectable man. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve, even in his old age.

     “Don’t worry, ragazzi.” He muttered kissing both their heads, tears began to fall down his face once more. “I vow to you both, grandpa will keep you safe. I promise. No one will ever hurt you, I’ll make sure of it.”


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An introduction to everyone's two favorite Italian boys! Enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

            Messina was a beautiful city. The weather was always warm, the sun always shining, and an orchestra of sounds from the nearby sea was nothing short of pleasing to the ear. A thousand different smells assaulted the inhabitants, and visitors. From the salt air, to the sea water itself, to the flavorful aromas of the market, the town of Messina had something for all. It truly was a beautiful city.

            “Feliciano, if you don’t move it I’m leaving your ass in this dump!”

            Well… not _everyone_ thought it was a beautiful city. Lovino Vargas hated it. The boy had grown up in Messina, and still didn’t know what the fuss was all about. According to him Messina smelled like day-old fish, and bird shit. He couldn’t understand why everyone in the town thought it was beautiful. Lovino thought it was boorish, and filthy.

All eyes in the market turned towards him, as he yelled at his younger brother. The twins’ grandfather was a highly respected man, one of the town’s leaders in fact. It was hard to show the same kind of respect towards his grandsons- rather, his _eldest_ grandson. Lovino’s brash and hostile nature never did win him many friends, unlike his brother, Feliciano, who was loved by nearly everyone in the town. It was hard to believe that the two were brothers, but their almost identical appearances confirmed that they were indeed related.

The younger of the twins hurried his transaction with the spice merchant, a man whom Lovino had never seen before in the market, before hurrying over to his brother with his new purchase.

            “I’m sorry, Lovino.” Feliciano said quickly. “But I had to get that cinnamon! Nonno will be so excited! It’s been a long time since we’ve had cinnamon in our pantry! The last time we had it was for our tenth birthday seven years ago when Nonno made us that delicious cake.”

            “Yea, and he also told us to only get what was _on_ the list.” Lovino snapped. “Now come on, it’s almost dusk. You know how the old man worries when we’re not home before dusk.” He grumbled as he turned on his heel. The basket he held in his hand swayed at the motion, but luckily none of the contents spilled out. Lovino had learned to keep his movements less sharp, from previous market experiences. In the end, he always handed the basket over to Feliciano.

            “I’ve never seen him in the market before.” Feliciano said, referring to the stranger at the spice stand and ignoring his brother’s statement. “I wonder what happened to Maurizio, he’s always here.”

            “Who cares.” Lovino groaned, though he too was a bit curious as to what happened to Maurizio. “Maurizio is a crazy old man, like nonno.”

            “Lovino!” Feliciano gasped, practically stopping in the middle of pedestrian traffic. Lovino had to grab his arm and pull him to get his brother to start walking again. As soon as Feliciano opened his mouth, however, Lovino wished that he had left him standing there like an idiot.

            “Lovino, you shouldn’t say that about nonno!” Feliciano continued, talking to Lovino as if he were reprimanding a five-year-old. Lovino only looked at him with a bored expression.

            “I shouldn’t do a lot of things, Feli,” Lovino said, reaching into the basket to pull out one of the fresh figs they had bought. Cracking it open, Lovino bit into it and licked the bits of stray juice from his mouth. “Like eat the figs we just bought from the market because they’re not clean yet, or go hunting in the forest armed only with a quiver of arrows because a wild wolf might jump out and eat me.”

            “Well you shouldn’t!” Feliciano said trying to take the fig from Lovino. Lovino only jumped back from his brother, with a smirk on his face. Feliciano quickly grabbed the basket, which Lovino gladly gave up, to ensure that they didn’t drop everything they had just bought. Lovino took another bite from the fig as he led Feliciano out of the market place.

            “Like I said, I shouldn’t do a lot of things.” Lovino repeated. Tossing the fig peel to the side, Lovino reached into his pocket to grab the small piece of paper that had the list of items that their grandfather wanted from the market. “Now, let’s see if we have everything. I don’t feel like talking another trip to that dump.” He heard Feliciano laugh, and couldn’t help but chuckle.

            Listing off the items, and making sure they had everything, made the walk back home less boring. Their house was in what Lovino described as “the middle of nowhere”. The small family of three were surrounded by trees, and rocks. Lovino still had no idea why their grandfather picked the spot. The small house was nestled neatly against a hilly outcrop. Their grandfather had built it with his own two hands, or so he claims. It was far enough from the rest of the town, but close enough to the market place. Lovino thought of it as an inconvenience; either way, it wasn’t the easiest place to get to. The boys had practically finished the list as they made the climb up to the house, only pausing to help each other avoid the large rocks that made up half of the staircase.

            “Alright, last thing, did we manage to get the amber this time?” Lovino questioned, reaching down to help his brother climb the last few rocks. “Because I swear it looked like the old man was about to have a heart attack when we came home without it last time.”

            “Yes, we bought two pieces this time.” Feliciano confirmed. “The amber wasn’t as much as it was last year. Do you think their finding more of it? Or are the prices just dropping? Maybe that’s why it isn’t as expensive!”

            “Feliciano, I neither know, nor care, about how much the amber was this year compared to last year.” Lovino shot back as the two climbed up the stairs to the front door. “All I care about is going inside, eating supper, doing my chores, and going to bed.” Lovino grabbed the key that hung on a string around his neck, and pulled it over his head. He slipped the key into the lock and turned it. The gears clicked loudly, and Lovino turned the handle to open the door into their home. Lovino held open the door for Feliciano who said, with a teasing smile, “That’s a boring way to live, fratello.”

            “No shit. We live in a boring town, in case you hadn’t noticed.” Lovino retorted as he closed the door behind him, locking it again from the inside. “Soon though, I’m going to leave this town.” Lovino said quietly so that only Feliciano could hear. Feliciano had already made his way into the kitchen, and had put the basket down on the dinner table when he heard his brother’s soft statement. He looked up at Lovino with his wide honey colored eyes.

            “Leave?” Feliciano echoed quietly, looking over his shoulder to make sure their grandfather wasn’t anywhere near them. Lovino nodded, an excited smile playing on his lips as he spread his hands out in front of him.

            “There’s got to be more to this world than just Messina.” Lovino explained. “You’re going to look me in the eyes and tell me you haven’t wanted to see what else is out there? See what the world has to offer other than Messina?”

            Lovino watched as his brother busied himself with sorting out the contents of the basket, a wary look on his face as Lovino spoke. Lovino couldn’t help but roll his eyes at his twin brother. Feliciano took their grandfather’s stories to heart, and believed every word that came out of the old man’s mouth. It really aggravated Lovino. It was only when Feliciano started storing the cinnamon that he answered his brother.

            “But we’re safe in Messina.” Feliciano said quietly, and quickly continued as he watched Lovino throw his hands up into the air in frustration while turning his back on Feliciano. “You’ve heard nonno’s stories! There’s a lot of dangerous things out there! Corsairs, pirates, cut-throats, disease… I don’t doubt that there’s more to this world than just Messina, fratello… but-”

            “Come on Feli! There must be more to life than market trips, and town meetings! Don’t you want some excitement in your life?” Lovino said angrily, turning back to his brother who was now re-wrapping the fish in some fresh paper. The smell was sickening, and even Feliciano had to crinkle his nose.

            “I think Pablo gave us old fish again.” Feliciano muttered, taking a quick sniff. “This doesn’t smell like it’s fresh…”

            “Feliciano, don’t ignore me!” Lovino said loudly. Feliciano glared softly at Lovino, who knew what the younger of the twins was going to say. Lovino was not in the mood for another lecture. Every time Lovino brought up the prospect of leaving Feliciano always had a lecture ready. If he didn’t, he ran to their grandfather. Lovino still remembered the first time he told Feliciano of his plan to leave Messina. His brother had gone to their grandfather, and Lovino was homebound for a solid month because of it. Lovino hardly brought up the idea of leaving after that, but he still made his plans secretly, only broaching the subject to Feliciano sparingly.

            After he had turned fifteen, Lovino began taking on small jobs to save up money for passage out of Messina, something that shocked his grandfather and brother who couldn’t understand Lovino’s sudden drive to work willingly. Lovino was…well he was lazy, and he knew it too. When his grandfather questioned Lovino’s sudden drive to work the fifteen-year-old had told him, _‘They pay me for my work. I get nothing for doing my chores except for a good swat if I_ don’t _do them_.’ Over the past two years, Lovino had managed to save up enough ducats to last him maybe two years outside of Messina. Of course, once he left Messina Lovino would have to find more odd jobs to keep his purse full. The seventeen-year-old had it all planned… except for how he was going to sneak out. He hated living in a town where everyone knew his family. Lovino knew he wouldn’t make it past the docks before someone told his grandfather.

            “I thought I heard you two.” Speak of the devil. Lovino glared at Feliciano with a look that said _keep your mouth shut_. Feliciano held his brother’s glare only for a moment longer before he gave in. He nodded with a heavy sigh, just as their grandfather entered the kitchen.

            “Ciao nonno!” Feliciano said happily, acting as if what just happened between Lovino and himself never occurred. At fifty-five years of age, Remus Vargas looked as if he were still thirty. His once brown whiskers had only a few streaks of gray, as did his dark brown hair. The twins were now close to his height, though Remus still stood about four inches taller. Lovino couldn’t deny that his grandfather had a powerful presence that demanded respect when he walked into a room. It was probably why he became one of the town’s leaders. When he smiled down at his grandsons, the little crow’s-feet at the corners of his eyes became a bit more noticeable. It didn’t make him any less endearing, though.

            “My boys! You were gone for so long I almost went out into the town to find you.” Remus said as he pulled the two brothers against his chest. Lovino groaned and tried to pull away, but his grandfather held him fast and mussed up his hair. Lovino hated it.

            “C’mon old man.” Lovino growled out. “When are you gonna stop with that? I’m not five anymore!”

            “No, but you’re still my grandson.” Remus replied with a loud laugh, as Lovino finally managed to pull away and smooth out his hair, grumbling to himself as he did so. “That means I will never stop messing with you, Lovino. Now! Did you get everything I asked for?”

            “Sì!” Feliciano said, while Lovino went through the basket to take out the two amber stones.

            “We even remembered the amber.” Lovino grumbled as he put the two stones into his grandfather’s hand. Remus looked relieved as the stones were placed into his upturned palm. Lovino still didn’t understand why his grandfather insisted on having amber all over the house. For as long as he could remember, his grandfather had always insisted on buying the gemstone despite how much it would cost sometimes. Lovino subconsciously toyed with the small piece of cut amber that hung on a string around his neck. Feliciano had a matching one. They had had those necklaces all their life, and when the twins asked about it one-day Remus explained that it was a gift he had given to his two precious grandsons on the day they were born. They never took it off. 

            “Two pieces?” Remus observed as he held the stones up to the bits of light that filtered in through the two-pane window that was built into the back door. “Have the prices dropped again? They don’t look fake… maybe their finding more?”

            “That’s what I said!” Feliciano said excitedly, making Lovino roll his eyes. Only his brother and grandfather would get excited over the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ of a situation. “We also bought some cinnamon! I know you tell us to only get what was on the list, but it was a good deal! One copper ducat for two ounces of cinnamon! It was too good of a deal to resist, nonno, and it has been so long since we had cinnamon!”

            “It was probably such a good price because Maurizio wasn’t there.” Lovino muttered as he sat down. He noticed his grandfather give Feliciano a curious look. It wasn’t surprising, Remus knew everyone in Messina. It was rare for the town to have any newcomers that the town leaders weren’t already aware of.

            “Maurizio was absent from market today?” Remus questioned, stroking his stubbly beard in thought. “How curious… did you happen to catch the name of this stranger?”

            “No,” Feliciano said rubbing the back of his neck. “But he wasn’t from here. He sounded like he was French.” Lovino made a small noise of disgust from the back of his throat, and his grandfather didn’t look to thrilled either. The people of Messina didn’t take to kindly to the French, not with the history between Sicily and France.

            “No wonder the price was so cheap.” Lovino commented. “The Frenchie probably couldn’t get people to go near his stand. You’re the only sucker that fell for it, fratello.” Feliciano looked over at his brother, and with a silly smile, brushed his fingers under his chin towards Lovino in an obscene gesture.

            “Alright boys, that’s enough.” Remus said giving them both a soft slap over the head. “I think its past time we started making supper, hm? Lovino, go light the candles in the house. Feliciano, fetch me the salt and pepper from the cellar. We have a stale fish to cook.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, there's a bit of a graphic description towards the end of the chapter. Just be aware, and feel free to skip it if you'd like. It's not terribly graphic, but it may be uncomfortable for most readers.

           Lovino watched as another flame took to the wick of the last candle in the upstairs hallway. Carefully, so not to blow out the blossoming flame, he blew out the match that had now burned down to nothing but a little wooden nub.  Lovino looked back up at the flame, watching as it danced and cast shadows on the wall. Lovino’s mind began to drift while he watched the flame, to his eventually departure from Messina. Would he be able to do it? Maybe his grandfather would be more understanding, since Lovino was practically a grown man now. Then again, his grandfather could also imprison Lovino in the house again, like he did when he first found out that Lovino wanted to leave the town. _‘Who am I fucking kidding…?’_ He thought bitterly to himself. There was no way he could leave Messina, he was stuck with no plausible way out. Sure, he had enough ducats to buy passage out of the town, but he could never get around his grandfather. Unless Lovino got Remus’ blessing, there was no possible way that the young Italian was leaving.

            The thought gnawed at him as he made his way down the stairs. Was it really such a terrible thing, wanting to explore the world? Lovino didn’t think it was that big of a deal. The voices of his brother and grandfather were as loud as ever, even as he made his way down the stairs. Probably because the end of the stair case faced the kitchen where Feliciano and their grandfather worked, but who has time to think of technicalities when there were more pressing matters to think about.

Lovino paused at the edge of the staircase, just listening to the two as they prepared supper. He looked up to see them working at the counter, their backs turned towards Lovino as they worked to make the stale fish edible. Could he really leave his family behind? It had always been just the three of them… they were all Lovino had in his miserable life. Maybe he could convince them to come with him. Lovino shook his head at the optimistic thought. _‘Messina is all Feliciano knows, and he actually likes it here… nonno gets scared of his own shadow sometimes so there’s no way he’ll leave…’_   Lovino sat on the step, resting his head in his upturned palm. _‘Besides it’s not my fault I want to explore the world…’_ Lovino thought. At the same time, he heard Feliciano’s excited voice in the kitchen.

            “Nonno! Will you tell one of your stories tonight?” Lovino couldn’t help but scowl softly. Could his grandfather really blame him for wanting to have his own adventure? All his life Lovino had heard stories about adventures in far off places. It was always the same kind of stories too, full of exciting action that only a true adventurer would experience. Lovino knew there were dangers in the outside world, but that’s what made it even more exciting! Besides, Lovino didn’t plan to look for trouble when he left. All he wanted to do was see things he could never see in Messina. Was that so wrong?

            “Sì Feliciano, if you would like.” His grandfather answered with a light laugh. “Which story would you like to hear?” Lovino rolled his eyes. It was a stupid question. There was only one story that the brothers ever wanted to hear.

            “The Lupo Brothers!” Feliciano said, and Lovino couldn’t help but mouth the words as his brother said them. The Lupo Brothers. It was their adventures that sparked Lovino’s curiosity about the outside world, and it was their adventures that practically damned him to house arrest. At the end of the day, however, Lovino loved to listen to his grandfather’s stories- though he would die before admitting it.

            “The Lupo Brothers? Aren’t you getting tired of hearing their story?” Remus asked lightly.  “I do have other stories to tell, you know?” Lovino scoffed loudly. He watched as his brother and grandfather turned their heads towards him. Lovino made no effort to move. He was quite comfortable on the step he had turned into a seat.

            “Your other stories are crap, nonno.” Lovino muttered. “Besides you never finished the story from last time. The one where Amandus and Amantius were trapped by those harpies. You can’t start a new story if you never finished the other one, old man.”

            “Lovino they were sirens, not harpies.” Feliciano chimed in. “There’s a difference.”

            “Whatever,” Lovino said with a roll of his eyes. “They’re both freaky… bird, women things. The point I was _trying_ to make, Feliciano, is that nonno never told us what happened after the Lupo Brothers were trapped by the half woman, half bird creatures.” Remus just shook his head, though he couldn’t hide the smile that played at his lips.

            “Alright, alright.” He said with a chuckle. Lovino watched as his grandfather rubbed the back of his neck. “Let’s see… where did I leave off with that story…?” Remus mumbled, scratching at his whiskers with his free hand. Feliciano pulled out one of the chairs from the small table and sat down, looking up at their grandfather expectantly. Lovino wasn’t sure if his brother was still prepping the fish for dinner. Lovino hoped the fish was forgotten. There was no way that his grandfather and brother could salvage that stale piece of crap. Even if they did there was no way that Lovino was going to eat it. No matter how much salt they used to hide the taste, it would give Lovino stomach problems for days. They could make do with some of the other things that they bought at the market, hell Lovino wouldn’t mind making a dish with those figs.

            “Of course!” Remus said loudly, slamming his fist into his open palm. Lovino’s attention was jolted back to his grandfather, who seemed more excited that he remembered where he left off rather than continuing the story from where he left off. Remus fixed his grandsons with a mischievous gaze, as he always did before he began any story.

            “Last we heard of Amandus and Amantius, the two brothers were trapped! Surrounded by the sirens. The creatures swooped in, terrorizing the crew and the brothers with their seductive songs. Even the fair maiden Kora was helpless to the sirens’ song.” Remus began, his arms moving in wide gestures as he told the stories. Lovino tried to hide his interest, but found it hard once his grandfather began the story. He leaned forward on the step, his hands now in his lap, as he listened earnestly.

            “ _Amantius, sweet Amantius’_ , They called to him. Their voices were like honey, dripping sweetly from their mouths. _‘Come, sweet Amantius. Come with us, come. We will show you what it is you desire most in this world’_ Voices came at him from all sides. Amantius could not deny those sweet voices, and did not realize that his feet were bringing him closer to the edge of the ship. The sword he had drawn was now being dragged along the deck. The sirens laughed and sang louder. _‘Yes, sweet Amantius, just a little further. Come to us, we know what it is your heart wants most’_ The voices sang. _‘What I want...’,_ Amantius did not recognize his own voice. Closer and closer his feet took him until he was climbing onto the edge of the ship. What was it that he wanted again? Amantius couldn’t remember, though he knew it was something important. _‘Poor, sweet Amantius, can’t find it. But we can help. We know where the treasure is.’_ Amantius and Amandus had been looking for this fabled treasure for almost two years. The stubborn fool would never admit it, but Amantius was tired of looking for it. This was his chance to finally have it in his hands. _‘Yes… where, do I look?’_ , He asked the wicked creatures. _‘Come closer, sweet Amantius, just a bit closer and we can tell you about the treasure you so seek’_ Amantius wanted to know, he _needed_ to know-”

            “Doesn’t he know that they’re tricking him?” Feliciano asked. Lovino threw a soft glare at his brother. He would always interrupt their grandfather in the middle of the story, and Lovino would always get annoyed with Feliciano. His little brother could never wait until the end of the story to ask his questions.

            “Sirens are hypnotizing creatures, Feliciano.” Remus explained. “It’s their voice. As soon as you hear it, your fate is sealed.”

            “Sounds like marriage.” Lovino muttered, even though he had no idea what marriage was like. Though from some of the arguments he overheard from many of the couples in town, it didn’t sound like the most appealing prospect. However, his comment still earned a loud laugh from his grandfather.

            “Sirens are a bit more dangerous, Lovino.” Remus said. “Marriage is a beautiful thing, why would you think it anything else?” Lovino scoffed. He wanted a story, not an interrogation… though it really wasn’t an interrogation, more like a conversation. Lovino didn’t want a conversation either, he was only interested in the story at this point. There would be time for conversations later.

            “Nonno, I have yet to see a happy couple in this town.” Lovino said in a bored tone. “From what I hear, it seems like all the men are absolutely miserable…”

            “Oh, but there are so many pretty ladies who seem interested in you.” Feliciano said with a snarky little wink. Lovino knew there was no way that could be true. “Maybe your opinion will change if you were to court one of them.” Lovino couldn’t keep the groan silent as he rolled his eyes. He stood up, gave his arms, and legs a quick stretch, then looked over at his brother.

            “I’ve got no interest in girls, Feli, and I highly doubt that any girls look my way.” Lovino said simply. “I’m not interested in courting them, or marrying them, or any of that. All I want-”

            “Is to travel the world.” Feliciano said innocently, crossing his arms over his chest without realizing what he had done.

            For a while there was no sound, or movement. Time seemed to stand still as Lovino glared hotly at his brother, who tightly squeezed his eyes shut upon realizing his mistake, all while Remus looked over at Lovino with an annoyed expression- an _extremely_ annoyed expression.

            “I was going to say, that all I want _ed_ ,” Lovino said through clenched teeth, putting extra emphasis on the last two letters of the word. “Was to hear the rest of the story, you ass!”

            Feliciano mouthed an apology, which in Lovino’s opinion meant shit now. Especially with how their grandfather was rubbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Remus only ever did that when he was trying to relax. It must be a hereditary thing, because Lovino would do it too. Right now, though, it was not going to help Lovino calm down. Throttling his brother until he passed out, that would probably calm him down.

            “I sincerely- _sincerely_ \- hope that this is another one of your jokes, boys.” Remus said. Lovino dragged his hands across his face, absolutely frustrated and cornered. He was so dead, he knew it. Lovino would never be allowed to leave the house again… ever! He should just lie, tell his grandfather it was a joke. That’s what his grandfather wanted to hear anyway, right? Lovino went to tell the little white lie, but Feliciano beat him with the truth.

            “Well… you don’t like us lying to you…” Feliciano mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. Even he didn’t know what to say. Lovino, at that moment, wanted to just disappear. He rounded on his brother. Feliciano was too innocent for his own good, Lovino couldn’t really blame him for that. But he blamed him all the same.

            “You couldn’t just tell him it was a joke?!” Lovino retorted, voice rising just a little bit. “Why would you say that?! For fuck sake, Feli!”

            “Lovino!” Remus snapped. The two immediately shrank back. “Watch your mouth, and don’t you put this on your brother. I thought we went over this?”

            “Yea, when I was a kid!” Lovino said, hating how desperate he sounded. “And I still don’t understand why it’s such a bad thing? Why is it such a terrible idea?” He retorted. There was no turning back now, and he knew that. Lovino always knew that this was going to happen, where he finally confronted his grandfather about his idea to leave Messina. He had just hoped it wouldn’t be like this.

            “It is safe here.” Remus said. It was obvious that his grandfather was trying to control his temper by the way his jaw clenched as he spoke. “We have a good life here. There is nothing for us outside of Messina.”

            “You and Feliciano have a good life here.” Lovino sighed. “The townspeople hold no love for me, nonno. I… I want more in my life! There’s more to this world, and I want to see it! I’m _going_ to see it! I’ve got the funds to last me maybe a year, two at the most-”

            “Lovino.” Remus said lowly, warningly. Even Feliciano looked over at his brother with a pleading expression. Lovino knew that he should stop, but he couldn’t. There _was_ no stopping now.

            “I can make it on my own outside of Messina, I know I can! I want to know what life is like in… in Spain! Or in Greece! I’ve read the books, what little books we have in town that is, but there’s only so much that the books can show me. I want to _see_ it, nonno!”

            “Enough, Lovino!” Remus said, voice rising ever so slightly.

            “Why?!” Lovino finally snapped, practically pulling the hair from his head in his frustration. “What are you so afraid of?! You’ve never even been off the island! You’ve only heard stories of what’s outside this island! How do you know it’s dangerous?!”

            “Damn it Lovino, that’s enough!” Remus shouted, slamming his fist onto the counter. Lovino fell quiet, though he glared daggers at his grandfather. He saw his brother flinch a bit from the corner of his eye, but that was to be expected. Lovino was pretty sure that he flinched as well, but he hadn’t notice. He was far too angry to notice anything now.

            “The only thing outside of this island is danger! Dangers you can’t even begin to imagine!” Remus continued. His voice had gone down just a bit, but there was still a hardness to it that showed how serious he was. “You are not leaving this island, Lovino. Ever! If that means I have to lock you in your room for the rest of your days than God help me I will do it!”

            Silence. It was a thick silence, the kind that hung in the air and could practically be seen by everyone in the room. Lovino’s hands had clenched into fists at some point, and they were shaking. He should have known that he would never get his grandfather’s permission. He had been a fool. A giant, fucking fool. Lovino closed his eyes, and took a deep breath while shaking his head. When he let the breath out, it had turned into a scoff.

            “You can’t keep me chained to this island forever.” He growled, turning on his heel and heading towards the door. Lovino heard Feliciano rise from the chair he was in just as Lovino pulled the door open, but he didn’t care. Lovino didn’t even want to look at his brother right now. Feliciano could never keep his mouth shut, and right now Lovino blamed him for this whole situation.

            “L-Lovino where are you going?” Feliciano asked softly.

            “What do you care?” Lovino snapped shooting a sharp glare at his brother. Lovino didn’t even wait for a response, from either of them, and slammed the door shut as he stepped outside. Lovino wanted to scream. He wanted to scream, and he wanted to cry. But he held it in as he made his way to the forest that lay to the side of his hilly home. Lovino didn’t run, but he moved quickly towards the trees that seemed to call and comfort him. He could scream there, cry there, and not be judged by his grandfather or brother. Lovino didn’t look back as he headed towards the forest, as the sun began to set over Messina.

            Meanwhile, the port side market had grown quiet. Many of the local vendors had packed up their wares, and loaded their wagons, and headed home many hours ago after a long day at the market. All except one. The spice merchant was still there. He wore a thick woolen cloak, held together by a simple pin that was worn down over the years. The hood of the cloak was pulled over his face, casting a shadow over his features. The spice merchant sat there, wares still out as if he expected a late-night visitor from the village.

            “Good evening,” The voice was soft, accented, and chilling. The spice merchant had been waiting for this specific customer. A small smile played on his lips. He looked up from the shadow of his cloak, blue eyes meeting jaded green ones.

            “I’m assuming you found a decent spot to hide the ship, captain?” The spice merchant said. The man in front of him gave him a toothy smile. It was all the answer he needed.

            “I’m assuming you’ve taken care of the traitor?” The man said. The spice merchant kicked a bag out from under the table he sat at. The bottom was stained with a dark liquid that made the burlap sack appear black on the bottom. The bag rolled and settled at the feet of the other man, while the spice merchant pulled back his hood. His blond hair was frizzy, thanks to the hood, but he quickly tamed the wavy locks with his fingers.

            “A shame,” He said to the other man. “I quite liked Maurizio.” The blond finished. The captain bent down and picked up the bag. Opening it, he found the severed head of Maurizio, Messina’s long serving spice merchant. Flies had already begun to swarm around the decapitated head, landing in Maurizio’s sightless eyes and gaping mouth. It was slowly appearing to be more of a swarming black mass then it ever did a head. The captain’s eyes were expressionless as he looked at the head. Closing the bag, he walked over to the edge of the cobblestoned dock, and tossed it into the ocean.

            “Yes,” he said as he watched the burlap sack float for a bit, before growing heavy with water and slowly sinking. “He’ll make a great meal for the sharks now.” He added looking back to his blond compatriot with a smirk. The blond shed the cloak, fixing his light blue coat as he walked out of the tent.

            “I assume our friend is on his way?” The blond asked. The captain nodded, walking away from the edge to look out at the small village. He always did like raiding unsuspecting villages. It was something about the way they all screamed in the middle of the night. Just the thought of it made his smile wider.

            “I quite like the small towns.” The captain said, without looking at the blond by his side. “The flames always catch quicker.”


End file.
